2/28/13

I'm a newly retired electronic engineer; my main hobbies are Fishing and Woodwork. I purchased your plans for the Simplicity Clock to fulfil an ambition I had to make a wooden clock movement. Once I retired and had the time available for such pursuits.

I found your plans very well worked out and fairly easy to follow, (after converting your inches to metric) the clock is now finished and hanging on the wall and keeping good time.

I made the big cog wheels using plywood but the rest is made from a local hardwood, Jarrah, (see link) it is my favourite wood and I have made several pieces of furniture over the years. If I get around to making another clock it will be all Jarrah but I can't get Jarrah plywood so I probably have to do my own laminations.

I got the clock to run OK on about 4 lb, I settled for a weight of 5 lb 3 oz, (to give it some reserve power) lead enclosed in a cylinder made from jarrah, I had to reduce the length of the pendulum rod by 2.5" to get it whitin range.

http://www.hardwood.timber.net.au/species/jarrah.htm

Karl Noren Perth Western Australia

Aloha Karl, you have created an extremely beautiful Simplicity. I can understand why the Jarrah is one of your favorite woods ~ it's color and depth and overall appearance is spectacular!

I think you have created the first Simplicity Dial Ring that is rotated an additional 15 degrees. It looks wonderful with the inlayed dots and spaced separations. Brilliant!

Your final drive weight is perfect, too. Since the Simplicity is a beginner's clock, my drive weight recommendation is way high. I put it up there because I want every builder, no matter their level of craftsmanship, to be able to hear their clock tick. The drive weight you have attained is a testament to your craftsmanship...as if one couldn't see that throughout the rest of your clock. You've done a truly spectacular job on your first clock(!)

For solid wood wheels or on how to lay up your own ply wheels, check out the "Ron Walters" link in the "Favorite Links" section of my site. He has done some superlative work with solid wood and homemade ply wheels.

Thanks for the beautiful pix and for doing the Simplicity plan so proud.

2/13/13

Clayton,Here are a few pictures of CMCO proudly residing in our entry way. It has been complete but required final disassembly for final sanding, varnishing and decorating. You will notice that the weight cord has been relocated. After careful hanging on the wall the weight would land on a chair we keep there. So I made a pulley, stolen from Simplicity plans, and a new mount to relocate the weight. Bev loves CMCO and we advance it together each morning.I finished all wood parts, except gear teeth, with wipe on varnish and the orrery colors are Transtint dyes. These dyes are mixed with alcohol and color the birch very evenly. The paper parts are also dyed with a 'brown' I concocted from the dyes. I think it gave them a nice 'old' look.I've had CMCO running in the shop since last March and would probably still be there if I known it would take two weeks to properly dress her up!

Oh, by the way. The thermometer next to CMCO read -23 this morning!!!Dave BeranDuluth, MN

Dave, I just can't tell you how much joy I get from seeing great craftsmanship ~ and especially when it is applied to one of my two All Time Favorite designs, the CMCO.

When I read that you and Bev advance it together in the morning, I was just totally filled with joy. What a great email!!! That was just so wonderful to read.

There is just nothing like seeing all that fluttering and gyrating going on with the simple unleashing of two levers. And to be able to look on your wall at a bunch of gears and see what is happening in the Cosmos is almost unbelievable (at least it still is to me).

Your CMCO really came out superb. Thank you for doing the CMCO plan so proud! And I really love the displaced drive weight. I think that looks wayyy better than my original design (I'm so glad that chair was there. Ha). Using one of the Simplicity wheels was brilliant.

Congratulations on a spectacular build, and thank you so much for the pix and totally wonderful email. You've made my day!